Friday 26 September 2008

Bloomin Beautiful........ And JobsWorth Tosser...

Ok....... Most of you probably know that I LOVE going to the garden centre with the nippers and me maties.... its only about 4-5 miles from here and its HUGE, so there is loads to see there, and the nippers love it, cos there are talking birds in the hothouse which say 'ello charlie' and there is also a big duck pond where we feed the ducks..... its great in bad weather cos most of it is undercover..... its the biggest garden centre around here for miles and miles.....

Its great cos the Strange Bruvvers that started it years ago, started real small a little further up the road from where it is now.... they were sort of a couple of pikies I think....... and as the business started to grow they moved to where it is now.... and its the most amazing place......they both have their mansions built on site, but they are just normal blokes, still working in the nursery, still getting their hands dirty, I must of known them for nigh on 25 years.....

I suppose me and me matie Sharon goes there at least every 3 or so weeks....its a great morning out for the nippers to, there is so much one can teach the kids at these places.... so much to learn....... there is also a lovely little cafe in the old victorian house that use to be the house on the land, and we often have lunch there, well a scone and a cuppa tea.... they dont like it much though that we take the nippers lunchboxes with us to save having to buy them all lunch, we aint made of money ya know.....



Our minded nippers love going to this garden centre and they often hide from us.... well they think they hide but we always know they are not far away......



Here they are thinking they were hiding LOL - thats J at the back and then Sprite his sister (whom I had since she was 10 weeks old) at the front and then M and T the twins and P their sister.... I love these kids and they in turn love me.... I think LOL



And here they all are in the geranium section.... a bunch of little blondies..

The year my tosser X left me and the lads, I had just secured us a contract with the above said nursery to supply them with alpines, we preferred selling them ourselves at country shows cos we got top prices for them, and by supplying other nurseries meant they got our plants at wholesale prices and they are the ones that make the greater profit from them, without having the risks and hard work of growing them........ ya see..... we had our own little nursery business and it was just into its forth year and he buggered off...he wanted it all to himself, I had helped to build his dream and he decided he wanted it without the tie of kids and family life (after 18 years of marriage lol)...... 80-90 hour weeks I worked building his dream with him..... his father owned a nursery business so it was all me X ever knew.... he had worked for his family business since leaving school at 15, it was all he knew how to do......

I will give me X one praise though, he was the most amazing grower that Ive ever come across.... he was the brawn behind our business and I was the brains and a bit of brawn....... I can load 4000 3 litre pots of perenials and alpines on any given evening by hand onto our nursery van without a shake of a cats tail..... 80-90 hours a week I would put in, I still had me preschool and still minded nippers and ran the house and had me 4 lads to sort and still managed to work every evening and every weekend on our nursery business for 4 years building his dream......

Circumstances made us start our own place, I found and bought the land at a time when the tosser X was suffereing from real bad depression, due to his father disowning him and throwing him to the wayside.... circumstances that almost cost our young son Sams life..I had Sam in ICU and almost dead, I had a hubby with depression, a 1 year old baby, an 11 and 9 year old that needed me, a preschool to run, 12 minded nippers to suss and sort out, and everyone relied on me... I had to carry the weight for all off us on me own for 3 years, and try and help build my X's dream, so that our family had a future.....so build I did, carry I did, go without I did, love I did, struggle I did....... LMFAO then when he had got his dream in place he walked from his family....... I often wonder what we would of become if he had stayed..... him being the brawns and me being the brains of the operation..... he was as thick as 2 short planks, but by god he was the most amazing grower and cutting taker of plants......

But when he left, he forgot that it takes more then brawn to run a business, and by leaving he walked away from the brains LOL..... and a business with no brain cells to plan and risk and think, is no business at all......... it stagnates, it stand still and eventually it becomes nothing....

I miss our nursery, I miss the thrill of knowing people wanted to buy something that we had grown and nurtured...... I miss the big country shows that we use to go to, I miss the interaction with the customers, something which my X hated, he couldnt talk his way out of a paper bag, so I was the 'frontman' at the shows.... and ya know what Im like with people LOL...

So I went from almost losing the life of my precious son..... to both my parents dying within 10 weeks of each other, to my X walking out on his family, all within a few years...... but cos I was use to carrying us all, I think that is why I just slipped into the roll of mum/dad nurturer, breadwinner when I had to do it all alone... cos to be honest, I'd been doing all alone for years.....

I have only shared the above (you are just getting a glimpse not the whole kaboodle) with one other cyber person... the same person that I had shared many of the happenings in my life, I hope that person keeps my stories safe, and places them next to my soul for safe keeping... stacked on a shelf somewhere together....

Anyways...... I digress LOL and have probably said way to much.........

So, the nursery that we love spending time at had a sale on a few weeks back, and it was one of our few sunny days, so we loaded up the 5 nippers we had between us and headed for heaven.. opps sorry, the nursery...



This is what we found....... oh my.... it was orgasmic LOL



As far as the eye could see....



The nippers are at the garden centre with us so often that its like a second home to them LOL.... besides the greenhouses and plants there are HUGE buildings housing every conceivable thing you can think of to do with gardens.... and even some home furnishings with a garden theme..... so we also love looking around those parts of the garden centre....

We often as not dont buy anything, we just go for a few hours to get out, but we always come home with cuttings LOL.... and no, we aint taught the kids how to nic cuttings yet, what do you take me for Fagin LOL ...

Most that know me also know that no matter how good, how quiet I can be, trouble ALWAYS seems to find me/us..... and the day a few weeks ago at the garden centre was not exception......

So, there we was in the home and garden section when we spied some hats, ya know, hats that posh people must wear whilst watching their gardeners do the hard work lol..... the minded nippers KNOW they are NOT allowed to touch or pick things up without first asking me or Sharon...... but I said 'shall we try on some hats' to which they squeeled YES.... so we were all laffing and having a whale of a time, trying on all the different hats, all way to big for their little heads.... and you know me with me camera..... I says..... ok, each put a hat on and let me take your photos......... and they all sat on the little patio furniture for their photo..... just as a member of staff walked around to see what all the laffing was about....

Here is the photo of the nippers, complete with labelled hats LOL



And this is the conversation that followed with the 'staff member'...

Bloke - Please do not let the children touch the goods..

Me - Goods? oh you mean the beautiful hats..

Bloke - Yes, please do not touch them unless you are thinking of purchasing them ..

Me - Maybe we are letting the children try them on so that they can choose which ones they want to buy..

Bloke - That obviously is not true, because the hats are adult sizes and way to big for them..

Me - And MAYBE I like to buy things bigger so that they grow into them, cos your prices are so ridiculasly high we cant buy new each year..

Sharon - giggling and giving me the 'look' ..

Bloke - Now you are just being a smartarse..

Me - Dont you know the customer is always right, its in the good customer guide, page 4, paragraph 3, subsection 2... where it clearly states, and I quote 'The Customer is always right'..

Bloke - Please dont let the children touch the hats..

Me - Ok kids, put the hats back on the rack, your probably right, Mr? 'jobsworth', they all have headlice and I dont suppose it was a good idea trying on hats now was it, and as you say they are way to big for them, so Im not going to buy the hats, cos I dont want my children to look ridiculas now do I..

Bloke - HEADLICE?.. and its Mr Dallas not Mr Jobsworth (HE SO DIDNT GET THE JOKE lol)

Me - Yeah, I so need to get that stuff for their little heads that kills the lice and stops them from infecting others..

Bloke - They have headlice? .. but headlice are catching, ewwwww

Me - Please do not say that infront of the children like that, it can be quite upsetting what with the constant itching, you should see Jons head, its a mass of scabs where he has scratched til he's bled...

Bloke - I really think you should be purchasing the hats now the children have tried them on while having headlice...

Me - Nah its ok, I mean, you said they were all to big for them, I think we'll leave it fanks very much and maybe we'll go buy an ice-cream..

Sharon - Dam jobsworth..

We walked away and Sharon whispered, does Jon and Sprite really have headlice...... No I said, but he dont know that LOL....



These are the 4 perenials that I bought..... a bright red victoria lobelia, a purple lobelia, a plum coloured penstimon and a true blue Salvia...

Why dont some people just mind their own dam business..... why do jobsworths always decend on us when we are out LMFAO.....

Enough boring Twaddle for a dark Friday evening..

x

Sunday 21 September 2008

Marmite Winners - Drum Roll Pleasssssseeeeeee....


Ok... Its a little after 10pm here in jolly old England, its been the most glorious day weather wise.... I think we might be having our summer now at the beginning of Autumn... dam fickle Britain....

It took me yonks today to write out all the names of those gagging to win the marmite goodies.... all on pretty coloured paper and each with a punched out dragonfly next to the names LOL....

And NO dam skankie hat for my competition maties..... oh no..... I put all your names in an antique blue and white striped 'Cornish Ware' jug..... I have 2 of these and I have a passion for jugs, as those of you that know me will know... but I also have a deeper passion for blue and white Cornish Ware jugs..... this one is worth about 40 quid which in doodle terms is about $80... all me little bits and pieces of antiques like me jugs and me many clocks are me nest egg for when I get old, ya know, I will have to flog off a jug to buy food one week when Im old and frail.....



This is the pile of names ready to be put in the jug...

Anyways..... I placed all the pretty coloured name tags in me jug and pulled out five... dont get to excited, I aint made of bleedin money.... BUT.. I did think that maybe I would choose 3 winners and 2 boobie winners.... the first 3 will get the precious marmite goodies and the other 2 will get a little 'british' surprise from me......

So.......drum roll please..........



SOUL PUMPKIN
CINDY
HELEN FRUM - who bequethed the prize to Toadie..

and boobie prize winners who will receive a jar of cockles *giggling* are..

SUE(ss)
ELIZABETH

Except...... as regards the marmite bits and bobs.... Ermmmm.... I ate most of them over the weekend lmfao...... well it was me birthday weekend...... so I will not be able to post them off on Monday as promised.... the winners will have to wait until Wednesday, which will give me a chance to nip into Tesco Tuesday Evening when Jacob is at Trampoline club, and replenish supplies LOL ..... go on, call me a greedy cow and I will deck ya LOL....

So if the above would kindly email me your real addresses.... I'll send the heavies in whilst you're at work and clean ya homes out LMFAO.... just joking.... I post off ya goodies on Wednesday morning....

email me at... marmitetoasty@yahoo.com

And Ive just got to thinking that there was soooo many that would of loved this precious gift of toejam opps I mean marmite.... so if anyone really wants to have a tiny sample sent to them, please also trust me with you addresses and everyone that emails I promise to send a tiny single portion sample to each of ya......

I wont be buying them, I will nick them from the garden centre cafe that me and me matie Sharon often goes to, we have seen them in a wicker basket next to the single marmalade portions in the cafe LOL..... so, if ya really wanna try the most precious taste on earth then just send your address's....cos we can nick as many as we need.. I promise to guard your addresses with me life.....

So, congrats to the winners, now aint that better then winning an Ipod or a camera, you just wait until it arrives you will wonder how you got this far in life without marmite..

Enough Twaddling for a Sunday evening....

x

Friday 19 September 2008

Birthdays Aye......

Happy Bloody Birthday to 'me'....



Thats another shit year done and dusted...... glad to see the bloody back of it... lets see how good I can cock up the next one aye.... cos thats what Im best at.....

x

Monday 15 September 2008

Precious Marmite ...What Else Can I say.... WIN Marmite Goodies...

Ok......... gently tiptoeing in the Twaddle door, to see what mess has been made whilst Ive been soul searching......

Bloody hell, it looks like a whirlwind has been through the place.... its no use you all partying in this place and leaving all ya rubbish and pizza boxes and dirty glasses around for me to clear up..... like I aint got enough to do, without having to clear up after you lot.... nice to see that ya never touched the marmite goodies in me kitchen cupboards though ;)..

I thought I would do me first ever 'GIVE AWAY'.... ya know, like FamilyPhil did on his blob, I know, I know, he gave away an IPod but marmite is much more precious, and ThePioneerWoman gives away real expensive pressies, but again, marmite outshines all of those posh cameras she is always giving away lol, so leave a comment, if there is anyone left that reads Twaddle that is, or a lurker, blurker can leave a comment, and I will put the few names in a bowl and pick 2 out and whomever get picked...will win these.....



oh and these...



Marmite Mini Rice Cakes - Marmite Giant Rice Cakes - Marmite Cheddar Cheese - Breadsticks - Marmite CRISP which are to die for - Marmite Biscuits (Crackers) and of course a Jar Of Marmite (pure nectar)...

Yeah all of the above in one little parcel :).... now aint that better then winning a posh camera or Ipod LMFAO..... I aint cheap ya know..... this is priceless stuff...

Those that know me here in real life KNOW my love for the taste of marmite...... I am the only person here that I know that loves marmite with a passion, not one of me maties like it let alone LOVE IT, and I even had to take a little jar with me to Maine last summer just incase I couldnt find it in the shops there, cos a fortnight without marmite would just about make me curl up and die....

Not one person at Sharkies place where we was staying liked marmite LOL..... not one of me lads like marmite, non of me maties here in life like it.... the only other people I know that likes it, NOT loves it like I do, is Toadie me matie to the left of the staples, whom I often send a little jar to, and me matie David who lives in California and whom I use to send a jar to when he lived in Alaska a few years back with the doodle army.... I think though to be honest that he use to spread it on the soles of his feet to keep them from freezing....

Ya suppose to spread it on reeeeeaaaallll thin, but me, well I love it thick and oozing..... me, well, I LOVE to dip me finger in the jar (to which the marmite sticks to like tar lol) and eat it that way lmfao....

It is true, there is no middle ground with marmite, you either LOVE IT or you HATE IT... and the adverts on the telly are very truthfull about that.... and have based their whole advertising campaign around the fact....

Have a look at this one lol..



HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA......

And this one....



And this last one..... which I find a little strange cos it looks like it was filmed on a doodle street and it looks nuffin like our British roads/streets..



The bestest way to have marmite is for breakfast, which I have every morning without fail with a cuppa steaming builders tea..lol....... 2 slices of toast spread with THICK marmite and then topped with a layer of CRUNCHY peanut butter..... it is almost orgasmic lol..... ok ok, so its been awhile for me to tell the difference lol....

If I was to ever get married again, which we all know that is an impossibility lmfao..... cos, Im a bit to much of a bloody challenge lol...... well, anyways, if I ever was to.... then I would dearly LOVE.... just once a week, or even once a fortnight (see I aint greedy lol) for the man in me life to make me marmite soldiers with 2 softly boiled runny eggs (for dunking the soldiers in) for breakfast one morning..... maybe a Sunday, a day when I could stay snuggled under the duvet LOL........ see just how low maintenance I am LMFAO....



I dont want much out of life now do I, just marmite soldiers in bed with a cuppa tea whilst snuggled under the duvet LMFAO......

Every so often marmite bring out a limit edition flavour marmite..... just look at these beauties..



The first one was brought out for Valentines day.... the second one is bog standard marmite and the third one was brought out for St Patricks day....

The passion I have for marmite is up there with me love for me chickens.... it would be a hard choice if I had to choose one or the other LMFAO..... Ive even spread marmite on cooked chicken before lmfao.... sorry Janet :)

I DO have a marmite cookebook and a little zippy character sporting a LOVE IT - HATE IT T-shirt... and of course I have a Giant Marmite Lunchbox, which is shaped like the new plastic jar of marmite squeezie..... but to me the plastic jar of marmite squeezie just dont cut the mustard with me, I love the little brown jars, thats me, always the tradionalist lol....

Anyways..... enough rambling on about something in me life that I love.... so I will leave ya with this old advert from 1974.. thats Zippy, from the kids telly programme back then and the little character I have sitting on me dresser wearing the T-shirt......



So, go on, leave a comment, either good or bad, cos ya know you SO WANNA TRY THIS TASTE OF PARADISE in a jar, oh and in a rice cake, cheese, biscuit, crisp LOL....and if I only get 2 comments, then ya both win lol

Now you know where I get me Cyberworld Nickname from - MarmiteToasty... thats me..

Its a sunny day here today, about time after the lousy summer we had here..... a sunny post for a sunny day....... fanks for sticking by me, ya just like sticky marmite :)

ADDITION - If ya wanna read all about the most precious thing on earth, more precious then diamonds, oil and David Cassidy then go read this....

http://www.accomodata.co.uk/marmite/marmite.htm

X

ps....... the makers of marmite should sooooooooooo be giving me a lifetime supply of this stuff for loving it the way I do lmfao......

pps... on the knee front - Had me consultant last Tuesday, he put yet another drain in.... still only have 80 degree bend, still having physio 2-3 times a week, still in extreme pain, still completely knackered and drained by it all..... but, Im back to work proper with all me nippers now that schools are back, as hard as it is, I have no choice, someone has to pay the bloody mortgage..... life aye..... :)